Improvement in preserve-jars



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Letters Patent No.- 94,236, dated August 3l, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESERVE-JARS.

Theschedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

`To all ywhom lit 'may conce/rn Be it known that I, 'Inoams G. O'r'rnnsox, of Camden, Camden county, inthe State of New Jersey, haverinvented certain new and useful Improve- -nlents in Preserving-Jars; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof,

reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings,

ments, the' upper part beinga .middle section, with the cover ands'pring in place;

Figure 2 is a top view of the cover and spring; and

Figure 3, a modification ot' the spring, as regards the manner of coiling.

The jar A is provided with a flange, B, around its top, projecting at the bottoni tiom aquarter to a half an inch, horizontally or nearlyhorizontally from the neck,but narrower or thinner at the top, its sides tapering toward the ccntreof the. top of the jar.

The cover C has a central cavity, or cup, D, which receives about one-half', more or less, ot' the coiled spring E.

The arms m 'm of this spring are curved from the ends of the coil, so as to converge to a line at right angles to thc axis ot' thecoil, at its middle point,y and pass over the edge ot' the cover, otr directly opposite sides thereof'.

Each of these arms isbent, first at an obtuse angle, and then at about a right angle, so as to form hooks, or fingers adapted to catch under the flange B, on the Jar.

A packing-ring, or gasket, p, is placed on the top ol'the jar, to secure a'tight joint, and when the cover is in place, and the' spring lirst applied, one arln will have the position shown in red, which is then to be drawn down, and its point, striking on the bevelled side of the frange, slips over it, andcatches beneath, holding the cover firm and tight.

The coil of the spring, being held by the cup D, is in no danger ot' being pushed oii the cover in handling or packing, and the hooks of the arms, being on directly opposite sides of the cover, if one of them be pushed around, the other follows, and their relative position, and consequently their hold upon the flange and the pressure upon the cover, remain undisturbed.

The extreme ends of thearrns are made so as to not quite reach the neck of the jar, which prevents the neck from being struck by them when the spring is pnton,.and by inserting a table-knife or other similar implement at this point, the hook maybe thrown o" the flange, and theV cover released in an instant.

Beneath vthe outer edge of the cover, I form a rebate or recess, seen at r, just outside the portion n, resting on the ring p, in order tofmake it easy to lift, or pry off the cover without mutilating or damaging the packing, and a second or supplementary iange is thus formed outside that resting on the packing.

On the bottom of the cover, beneath the cup D, a hub, or projection, G, is formed, to make room for the cup, and at the same time preserve the required stiffness and strength.

lh'uit-preserving jars, with my improvements and their covers, may be made of clay, earthen, or glassware.

Vhat I claim as lnyinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The cover C, having a recess, r, in its outer lower edge, for the purpose specified, and a shoulder, n, for contact with rubber gasket, as herein setforth.

Also, a spring, (for securing and holding the covers of fruit-jars,) constructed as shown in ir. 3, and arranged to Aoperate substantially as described.

THOMAS G. OTTERSON. Witnesses WM. Dennis, J. ])n'.\r.\*is,'Jr. 

